Immediately

I slept in a bit today because I have epic day ahead of me, but wanted to briefly write about today's gospel. It is the wonderful scene of the Jesus choosing his first Apostles! Wouldn't you love to know why Jesus chose these dudes!! It gives me great comfort that he chose such, how shall I put it?, clueless, hot-headed, down to earth peeps with senses of humor, because there is hope for me. He saw them casting their nets into the sea. He saw them casting their hopes into the things of this world and right away he calls them away from that to come after him who is all they need. He tells them that they will now be fishers of people casting their nets into the sea of grace that God will give them if they follow him. It says that they immediately left their boat and followed him. This is the kind of faith I want and need to be who Jesus calls me to be. May I immediately get out of the boat of fear, shame, selfishness, comfort, laziness, etc. and start walking with the one that calls me by name. We have work to do and that work is to love. It is well with my soul. 

P.S. Thank you all for your prayers for Auntie. She was doing dramatically better yesterday and I am sure it is because of your prayers. 

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Lectionary: 684

Reading 1 ROM 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Alleluia MT 4:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

Lovely Hula Hands

One of the most beautiful aspects of my job is that there is no doubt or misconceptions about the inevitableness of death. It is around every corner and all the signs of the end times are a daily occurrence. I serve people well into their nineties and well into their final stages of life. I have a 98-year-old woman that is declining rapidly and I can actually see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” over her. She is not just one of my favorites; she is related to me through our Hawaiian roots. I call her Auntie because that is the Hawaiian way to address your elders and one day we discovered that we are actually Ohana. Her Auntie Keahi married my Great Great Uncle Frank and their adopted daughter is a famous hula dancer in Hawaii known as Iolani Luahine (there is a bronze statue of her at the Hawaiian Hilton in Waikiki). Auntie learned the hula from her Auntie Keahi, as did my grandma’s sister. Since we discovered our deep roots, Auntie and I have been quite the dynamic duo. When my band gives a concert (about once a month), Auntie joins us for our final song, “Aloha Oe”, and she and I even danced the hula together in the resident/staff talent show. Her signature is a perpetual plumeria in her hair. My signature? A perpetual plumeria in my hair! It seems that Auntie is going home to God very soon and I have spent this week serving her in a special way. She’s a trooper and still insists on coming down to the dining room, however, she can no longer hold her fork so I get to do that for her. I hold her hand and kiss her forehead between every labored bite. She is having a hard time swallowing and I coach her gently reminding her how to do it. I meet her cloudy eyes with mine and ask her how she is feeling. She’s tired and a bit scared. Lastly, I sat in her room with her and we sang the song that we danced the hula to, “Lovely Hula Hands”, and she joined me for the very sweetest duet of my life. Her voice has been inaudible and very labored this week, but her singing voice is a lovely as her hula hands. These are the signs of the end times for Auntie and these are the reminders for me to “stand erect and raise your heads because redemption is at hand.”

The tender moments of our lives give us a glimpse into the cloud of glory that is the manifestation of Jesus’ great power: his power to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and raise the dead; his power to bring peace in the midst chaos; his power to love the unlovable; his power to give mercy to the broken; his power to serve the poor; his power to bring comfort to the dying. This power is not a way back then reality, but a daily and now actuality. We are empowered and called to release this power with our lives as we are his hands and feet, which means that we can also heal, cleanse, bring peace, love, give mercy, serve, comfort, and yes, raise the dead. I know it seems absurd, impossible, and like someone else’s calling, but if we truly believe in Jesus, then we must also know that his power dwells within us. Today’s gospel uses apocalyptic language, which would have been a tremendous concern for ancient Middle Eastern society, however, for our purposes let’s use a thesaurus phrase for apocalypse: day of reckoning. Let today be a day for us to remember our authority in Christ to be his hands and feet, to serve as he served, and to let the cloud of power and great glory rest upon us so that we can stand up and raise our heads for our liberation from this world is here. Please say a prayer for Auntie as she journeys home, may her transition be peaceful and lovely, until we meet again. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 RV 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9A

I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast."

A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:

"With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion."

After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:

"Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot 
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

They said a second time:

"Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever."

Then the angel said to me, "Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

Responsorial Psalm PS 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Alleluia LK 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand."

Tattoos At Thanksgiving

I have a 22-year-old cousin that recently graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science. He’s super smart and super delightful in every way. He showed up to Thanksgiving with a full-sleeved black and white tattoo that attracted a lot of attention especially from his grandpa. It was not necessarily positive attention, however, he definitely had everyone intrigued. When his grandpa asked him bluntly, “why the hell would you do that to your body?” My cousin proudly gave us his testimony behind the meaning of his tattoo. It was eloquent and well prepared, it was thoughtful, and it was a witness of who he was and what he valued in life. It was so important to him that he tattooed it permanently on his arm for all to see knowing that he would most definitely encounter those that hated tattoos and would have no problem telling him how much they hate tattoos. The tattoo was of a house on fire, which represented to him the things of this world that can consume us and when people become burnt out in jobs that do not feed their passions. On the outside of the house was a man on fire and that represented him and his desire to burn brightly outside of the things of this world and not because of them. It was a beautiful demonstration of his hope-filled outlook on life. What convicted his testimony even more was that people were persecuting him for it and it gave him the opportunity to stand up for his creed to burn brightly. This is what Jesus is talking about in the gospel today: persecution “will lead to your giving testimony.” 

Jesus tells us today that people will give you lots of crap for being friends with him (I paraphrased that just a little!). He goes on to say, not just any people, “parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.” Jesus, this might be the worst sales pitch ever, I’m just sayin’! “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” This is a practicum of the beatitude, “Blessed are those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I love that Jesus is real with us. We know what we are signing up for, but we know that at the end of the day, we can say that we stand with love, and that the very word that breathed the universe and all that is within it into existence is permanently tattooed on our soul. When people ask us “why in the hell would we do that?” we can proudly give our testimony: I want to burn brightly because I know Jesus Christ. 

Eventually, my cousin’s strong conviction about the meaning behind his tattoo softened the hearts of all of us at the table. He was so secure in his belief that it converted people’s nay saying and I loved watching him stand firm in his faith. Another testimony came forth that night. When my cousin asked his grandpa why he hated tattoos so much, his Jewish grandpa responded with, “I guess it just reminds me of the holocaust and the persecution of my people identified by tattooing numbers on their wrists.” The room was reduced to a moment of honor and respect because my cousin’s testimony and his grandpa’s testimony came together and the persecution ended in the understanding of each other’s soul. This is what needs to happen on all fronts in our society, in our church, and in our personal relationships. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 RV 15:1-4

I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring:
seven angels with the seven last plagues,
for through them God's fury is accomplished.

Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.
On the sea of glass were standing those
who had won the victory over the beast
and its image and the number that signified its name.
They were holding God's harps,
and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 7-8, 9

R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia RV 2:10C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:
"They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Fake News

I stopped watching or reading the news about two years ago and that is saying a lot for this once Journalism turned Communications major that aspired to be a broadcaster one day. The news brought me nothing but anxiety, confusion, anger, and doubt. There was no way to decipher who was reporting the facts and who was simply reporting opinions and speculation. Then the phenomena “Fake News” came into our world and it has been a downward spiral ever since. News outlets are now used for mud slinging and division, hype, drama, and political agendas. This is the opposite of what I learned in J. School (Journalism School). News was to be non-biased, factual, true, and objective. Sufficed to say, we have been deceived and today’s gospel speaks to our tendency to buy into “fake news.” 

Jesus clearly warns us that there will be imposters and frauds that will come along promising to “make the church great again.” Shiny dynamic speakers or personalities will say, “I am he, and, the time has come.” Jesus tells us not to fall for it. There is only one “The way, the truth, and the life.” When lines become blurry and things like church doctrine become politicized and divisive, we need to go back to the source and settle down. Everything we need to know is right here in the gospels and in the teachings of Jesus. This is not fake news and this is not some imposter with good intentions. Stay the course with Jesus and replace the fake news with the Good News. Jesus said that “nations will rise against nations, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place.” Well guess what? This has been the condition of the world since before Jesus walked the earth. This is not a new thing and Jesus tells us “do not be terrified.” Easy for you to say Jesus, have you watched the news lately? 

So let’s stay focused on the Good News of Christ, which is a breaking story of peace and compassion, a twitter feed of encouragement and promise, a cover story of loving your neighbor, a human interest piece on mercy and forgiveness, a conviction hearing of doing what is right and good and noble and pure, and an investigation proving love as the answer. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 RV 14:14-19

I, John, looked and there was a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man,
with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Another angel came out of the temple,
crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud,
"Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth's harvest is fully ripe."
So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven
who also had a sharp sickle.
Then another angel came from the altar, who was in charge of the fire,
and cried out in a loud voice
to the one who had the sharp sickle,
"Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth's vines,
for its grapes are ripe."
So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth's vintage.
He threw it into the great wine press of God's fury.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:10, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice 
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Alleluia RV 2:10C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" 
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end." 
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

Nothing To Lose

I definitely have a different perspective on widowhood now that my mom is a widow. It is a struggle every single day just to get up and out of bed let alone manage all the things that are required for a two-income household that is now just a single-income living. Making important life and financial decisions without your partner is daunting and yucky and lonely. That whole ‘til death do us part thing was never what she actually signed up for. Jesus has a special place in his heart for widows and today he uses one widow’s sacrifice to teach us how we are to give to others. 

First Jesus noticed what was happening. How important it is to remember that Jesus notices us. People were putting their offerings into the treasury. Another word for offerings is gifts. The wealthy people gave and still had plenty in their pockets to spare, one for you, four for me. How often do I hold back my own gifts for whatever reasons: laziness, not feeling it, at least I’m giving something, a little is better than nothing, I’m sure other people are giving so I don’t need to, pride, arrogance, etc. Jesus knew that they were giving with conditions. Ugh. I give with conditions all the time. Then a widow steps up to the plate and gives all she had. The reason God gives so many instructions in scripture to take care of widows is because they literally had no income once their husband died. They are the poorest of the poor in Jesus’ society and God is very clear that we are to take care of the poorest of the poor, then and now. Widows would not have been expected to make an offering because of their poverty and yet this woman gave all. Why? Have you ever been desperate or in a “I have nothing to lose” situation? When you have nothing to lose, going all in seems almost easy or many times is the only choice. This is a kind of poverty of spirit that Jesus highlights in the beatitudes. It gives us the courage to give all because we have nothing to lose. This all-in-ness is how Jesus wants us to use our gifts because the fact of the matter is that we do have nothing to lose because he already lost it all in our place. Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the kind of poverty that this widow has. Essentially we are widows to sin because of the offering of Christ and his offering allows us to go all in with our gifts. Wow. I need to sit with that for a minute! 

When we give from our poverty of spirit, which is a place of total surrender to the offering that Jesus made in our place, we can give all that we have because our surplus is unlimited in the blood of Jesus. His offering is unconditional, limitless, and abundant and when we give ourselves over to that abundance, our generosity only increases because there is nothing to lose. I am a widow to my past and the sins of my past and Jesus has a special place in his heart for widows. This place in his heart gives me the courage to go all in with my gifts and offerings. He notices when I give with conditions and when I give with nothing to lose. I pray that today is an "all-in offering" kind of day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 RV 14:1-3, 4B-5

I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.
I heard a sound from heaven
like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne,
before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the first fruits
of the human race for God and the Lamb.
On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.

Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Alleluia MT 24:42A, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 21:1-4

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

What’s In Your Wallet?

I’ve never been a saver. When people say things like, “We had to dip into our savings to pay for it,” or “That purchase (of something like an entire kitchen remodel) really depleted most of our savings,” I generally tilt my head to the side like a dog trying really hard to understand the words coming out of your mouth. I am good at stashing money away for an exciting vacation every year, but I absolutely spend every single penny of that stashed away money! Yes, I recognize that this makes me completely irresponsible, as my very sound and practical mom and brother would remind me. Today’s gospel is NOT about having a super grown up and responsible savings account!!! Whew!!! Today’s gospel is about taking the gifts given to us by God and doing something fruitful with them. Let’s look at the instructions given by the King to the servants that he gave 10 gold coins to, “Engage in trade with them until I return.” Isn’t that an interesting sentence? Trade means to share something and get something back. God gives us free gifts and the instructions are, “Engage in trade with them until I return.” What are your 10 gold coins (my Bible says this is equivalent to $50,000)? We are created in the image and likeness of God, which means that He has gifted us with His essence, and His essence is as countless as the stars. What are some of the qualities of God that can be translated into your 10 gold coins? One of those qualities for me is creativity and I can either hold onto it for myself or exercise it daily (writing, music, photography, etc.) so as to grow that gift in such a way that others will be able to receive blessings from it and/or empowerment to be creative also. 

As a musician, praise and worship leader, and very available with my time, I often trade my coins playing at retreats, masses, funerals, weddings, adoration, or just hanging out at the beach. The fruits are varied, but mostly people’s hearts are lifted toward God in prayer, praise, release, love, joy, conversion, return, tenderness, tears, thanksgiving, etc. This trade is an amazing transaction of people giving their hearts and the gifts in their souls to each other. My musician friends and I often talk about how we receive so much more when we see our music being received, participated in, and given back. There is nothing better than leading a Spirit-filled praise and worship session and to have the band stop singing, but the crowd continues with full voice! It fills me up beyond compare and the trade of my “10 coins” multiplies in countless return, giving me the inspiration to go all in the next time and the next time and the next. 

This is what God wants us to do: share our own unique gifts abundantly without any hoarding and without reserve and He knows when we do that, the gifts will continue to grow, thrive, bear good fruit, and that growth will be infectious suddenly allowing us all to be who we were made to be, and that my friends, is a glimpse into heaven!! When He asks us “what’s in your wallet?” will there be excess money or excess love? Excess material possessions or excess compassion? Excess property or excess joy? So while I am not responsible with money and savings and grown up behavior in the “real world”, I hope that when I meet the King of the universe, He will say to me, “Well done, good servant!” That is the kind of planning and investing at which I’d like to excel, and it is well with my soul.  

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 499

Reading 1 RV 4:1-11

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

"Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created."

Responsorial Psalm PS 150:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia SEE JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'"

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.